


Into the Light, Into the Dark

by Astara (shiverelectric)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-12
Updated: 2004-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-16 22:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiverelectric/pseuds/Astara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ginny is rejected by Harry in the most humiliating way, she turns to an unexpected choice. But are his feelings enough to protect her from Harry, and is she strong enough to help him change?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written many years ago and has not been edited since first publication. Archiving for archival's sake.
> 
> Lyrics used credited to songs, as well as uncredited some use of quotes from other materials (not fanworks).

_Hey, will you stay, awhile?  
My smile will not mislead you.  
Cause I've been alone, my faith turned to stone  
Still there's something in you that I believe in.  
Close to your peers, I go wild and fierce  
Still I let you be, I feel you next to me  
Cause inside I feel a wind that starts to blow  
I'm taken in your undertow  
Everything is fine...I'm lonely all the time.  
Cause all I want to do is be there for the things that you're going through,  
Is it good for you? Is it good for you?  
Cause you haunt my nights where I don't know where my life should go,  
Is it good for you? Is it good for you?_

 _Hey, child, please stay awhile  
My smile will not mislead you.  
Cause I've been without, I go wild with doubt.  
I grab at you; I can't stop grabbing at you.  
Cause I feel you cross my mind in disarray, intoxicated ricochet.  
There's nothing wrong, just don't take too long  
Cause all I want to do is be there for the things that you're going through,  
Is it good for you? Is it good for you?  
Cause you haunt my nights where I don't know where my life should go,  
Is it good for you? Is it good for you?_

 _Good for You by Third Eye Blind_

 _"Harry, will you be my boyfriend?"_

 _"Ginny, you know I would never love you the way you'd want me to. You're like a sister to me."_

  
Ginny played the scene over and over in her head. This...rejection was too much to bear. Unlike the other times when she'd glance with a look asking, "Will you? Do you?" this time she'd given voice to her feelings and in front of the school...

  
10 Minutes Earlier

 _She missed dinner to prepare. Clothes and makeup wasn't easy growing up in a family of boys, but she did the best she could with glamours and magazines. Then she waited, waited in her room to steady her mind and waited in the hall until Harry was about to leave the dining hall._

 _When she saw him stand and wave goodbye to her brother and Hermione, she walked in with a kind of tunnel vision, heading straight for him and seeing no one else. But she didn't care because this was her moment._

 _  
"Hello, Harry," she began timidly. He looked her up and down, at her outfit under opened regular school robe and her painted face._

 _"Uh, hi, Ginny. How are you?" A slight blush came over his surprised face. "You missed dinner."_

 _"I'm fine," she replied, looking over his shoulder at Ron. "I wasn't hungry." Ron was speechless from his sister's exotic display of herself and just ended up resorting to meaningless gestures and incomplete words. Hermione watched him amusedly while giving Ginny sympathetic smiles._

 _"Are you sure you're fine? You don't...uh, look okay...not that you appear bad or anything, I just mean you don't look well," Harry stumbled over his words._

 _"Yeah, well, I wanted to try a new look. Do you like?" Harry didn't have time for a reply as she quickly continued, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." The faculty, their conversation finished, left the hall to go to their respective offices and rooms, paying no attention to the wayward Gryffindor girl, while for all the world the other students stopped piling out of the room and listened as intently possible. Ginny could feel the tension of the student body pressing in on her, pressing her to speak._

 _Then, Ginny spoke._

 _"Do you love me?" She took a hold of his hand in both of her own and gazed searchingly in his emerald-green eyes. "Harry, will you be my boyfriend?"_

 _Everyone froze. Even Ron stopped his jerking and flat out fainted, leaving Hermione to tend to him. A darker blush covered Harry's face now; it made his scar just about disappear. Then the red faded and was replaced by an expression of empathy and finality._

 _Harry placed his free hand over hers and said, "Ginny, you know I would never love you the way you'd want. You are the sister of one of my best friends and so, like a sister to me. So please, never ask me again. I doubt you'll ever get me to change my feelings." His reply was clear and audible over the hush of the room even though he spoke softly and gently._

 _The statement hit Ginny like a tidal wave, visibly crumpling her. It crashed against the innocent shores of her heart. She staggered back, grasping the folds of her robe over her clothes, when she became aware of the other students. Practically all the students from each house was there; Ravenclaw girls pointed and whispered amongst themselves, Hufflepuff boys looked slightly embarrassed themselves, Gryffindors were sympathetic, and Slytherins howled with laughter in wild abandon. Ginny's eyes glistened with unshed tears as they darted back and forth as she withdraw from Harry. When she disentangled her hands from his, she turned and ran as far and as fast as she could._

 _"Ginny, wait! Come back!" Harry shouted after her, but she'd already turned out into the hall._

 _As he turned around to face his friends, Hermione vaguely commented " Boys are so blind," and she took a bite of a crimson red apple.  
_

  
Present

After running into the hall, Ginny had ducked into an old, rarely used classroom on the third floor, away from the dormitories and away from Harry. She knew she would be sought for, either by her brother and his friends or...or anyone else and she didn't want to deal with any of them. No one could possibly understand her...

And then again her thoughts turned to Harry. Oh how she despised him now! The emotions she'd been repressing since her humiliation came flooding to the foreground andlet loose a sob, releasing the sorrow of her broken heart in pure, wild animal energy. She fell to her knees, and realized her heart was now as cold as the stone floor.

"A loveless heart can never be warm," she said to the air. But outside the door, one person heard her mournful cries and the melancholic statement and he entered the room quietly without her knowing it.

"But a heart that knows love can be easily burned," a familiar voice cut through the dark as the figure emerged from the shadows.

Ginny instantly turned towards the voice, her eyes narrowed to murderous slits. "Malfoy! What the hell do you want, to mock and tease me about how The Boy Who Lived rejected me in front of the whole school? Or how _I_ was the one to throw myself at him dressed like _this_? If so, go ahead, I don't care anymore. I'm dead inside anyway."

Malfoy didn't reply. Truth to be told, her admission shocked him more than anything ever had, and his father was a Death Eater. Instead, he knelt beside her and a small smirk played on his lips. Then, rather unexpectedly to them both, he ever so slowly pushed a stray strand of autumn-shaded hair from her eyes. Ginny didn't flinch at his touch, but did still his hand with her own. "It seems our resident Weasel Princess has a bit of angst," Draco drawled. "I guess it goes to prove everyone has a dark side.""

"Sod off, Malfoy."

"No, Virginia, dear, I think not. I didn't follow you for nothing, but I also didn't follow you to do what you seem to think I would."

"You saw what happened. I could hear you laughing." Ginny didn't trust Malfoy, but then she certainly didn't trust anyone else.

He stood solemnly. "No, you didn't. I didn't laugh at you. My entire house did, yes, but I didn't."

"Why should I believe you?" At this point, Ginny wanted to slash out at any and everyone like an alley cat backed into a corner by the neighbor's dog.

"You have my word as a Malfoy," he insisted. He would _not_ let his word be called into question.

"Is that worth the same as the word of a Slytherin?" Ginny spat the insult with a razor-sharp tongue that she satisfactorily saw hit its mark.

Draco's expression changed slightly as a shadow of emotion passed over his face but was soon replaced by the mask he'd adopted since childhood. His will was strong, but remarks like that _did_ stir the stronger, primal emotions to the surface. Usually he'd act on those impulses with biting retorts, attacking not physically but verbally. Those attacks could cut a person down faster than any fist thrown or spell cast.

However, this time he refrained from responding out of anger. He simply stated, "Let it all out if you'd like, Ginny. I can take."

Ginny finally saw that he didn't come for malevolent reasons and relented. She perceptibly became a scared Sixth year, mirroring her younger First year self when she was just a child taken advantage by Tom Riddle. Draco could see this transformation and she knew it. "What do you want, Draco?" was all she said as she let her head fall forward with the tears that slowly slipped down her cheeks.

His first name. That's what she called him. Not by his accursed surname that brought, and bought, infamy and riches, but by the name given him alone. Another shadow came and caused his heart to jump, just a bit, but was once more suppressed, the doing of which took longer than before.

Ginny lifted her head and glanced at Draco slightly during the silence. She was taken aback a bit when she heard a sound stick in his throat.

When he'd, after some time, composed himself, he began, "As I said earlier, I had a reason for seeking you out. You can do what you want after I've said my peace, but please don't interrupt me till then." Draco took a deep breath and steadied his thoughts. _It's been awhile since I've done this_ , he thought to himself.

"As you should well know, I hate your family and I hate your friends. Especially Potter, but he isn't exactly in good standing with you, either," he stated with a smirk. "Except for you, Virginia. There is definitely something different with you that...draws me to you." Draco paused to gauge her reaction, but she was staring blankly through window at the full moon. He sighed and continued, "I know you think I'm an insensitive, manipulative prat with an ego the size of which you've never seen, which I admit to being, but I'm other things, too. The name _Malfoy_ brings with it pride and promises. And all kinds of darkness. Your saying my first name was a beacon of light for my unruly spirit in a shady world. Poetic, aren't I?"

Ginny absorbed all she could. Her mind was overflowing with thoughts. She doubted she was even hearing him clearly, but she didn't dare stop him just yet.

Still, on he went. "This began even before tonight. You haunt me and it unsettles me to know that I don't want you to stop. And when I saw you earlier, bearing your heart to that incompetent git, I felt a pull to come to you." He kneeled beside her once more, guiding her face towards his with his graceful fingers that softly cupped her chin. "I can't explain it any better. And I'm not sure that I want to..."

Just as he stood to leave, Ginny said, "...because you don't want to get hurt. Like I was."

He stopped in his tracks. "I didn't mean it like that." Draco wasn't facing her, but he could feel that she was standing now and the firm grasp of her hand on his arm proved that she was right behind him. He turned, gray meeting brown, and said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Her kiss was supple and sudden with a sense of urgency. Draco was, at first, taken by surprise, but soon responded and returned the kiss. Ginny found his lips were warm and gentler than he'd ever let on.

She broke the kiss and asked, quite innocently, "Did you feel that?"

"What, besides your lips on mine?" Draco encircled her waist with his arms and she laid her head on his chest.

"Yes." She lay her right hand over his heart and felt the beat quicken and the breath shorten. She smiled to herself. She was intoxicated with this Malfoy. "I felt...peaceful."

Draco thought for a moment, then whispered in to her ear, "I did, too."

"I see what you mean. Words shouldn't describe it, or it's lost, because lonely hearts speak it best."

"We'll find a way, Ginny. I'll be there for you, anytime you need me."

"I know, and I believe you. But is it good for us?"


	2. Chapter 2

  
_It's all in your mind,_

 _She said the darkness and the light._

_The clock, it bleeds for you,_

_But you never got the timin' right._

_Thanks A Lot by Third Eye Blind_

  


\---

  


"What are you thinking of, Ginny?" Hermione asked. It had been a few days since the 'Incident', as it was now known throughout the school. Harry tried to comfort Ginny anytime he saw her, but every time she waved his concerns away and continued on to wherever she went nowadays.

  


Now she was staring (dreamily?) out the window of the room she shared with Hermione. Her thoughts were on Draco Malfoy. Yeah, he was still an obnoxious, cold-blooded, vicious, and overbearing ponce, but never towards her. Actually, she didn't mind his attitude at all because she found humor in it, even when he was riling her brother. And she knew that even in the middle of the night, she could owl him and they'd take midnight walks around the Astronomy Tower, pointing out constellations.

  


"Nothing in particular." She turned to face Hermione. After the 'Incident', they'd gotten closer. She and Hermione had actually talked about what happened, although Ginny didn't tell her the complete version, i.e. she left out the part where she and Draco were snogging in an empty classroom, but said enough to have her feelings out in the open about the whole thing. "Hermione? Are you really busy?" she asked. _It's time to test the waters_ , she thought to herself. _Hermione would be the most understanding._  


  


"No, not really," she replied, and she placed the quill and parchment she was working with on the desk. "Do you want to talk?"

  


"Yeah." Ginny swung her legs over the side of the bed and intertwined her fingers. "Um, what do you think about Malfoy?" she began. "Do you think he's really all how he acts towards... others?"

  


Hermione was taken back by the query. "Well, I guess he's...uh...I suppose if you got to know him...Why do you ask?"

  


Ginny took a deep breath. "I didn't tell you the complete truth. After I left that night, I went to a classroom on the third floor, you know this. But I wasn't alone the whole time -"

  


"Malfoy was with you," Hermione interrupted, realizing what her newfound friend was implying. "Oh, Ginny, why didn't you tell me?"

  


"I knew you'd tell Ron, or even worse, Harry. Besides, nothing happened... except a small, innocent kiss," she added quickly.

  


Hermione blanched at the new information. Her imagination was shot through with images of shy, chaste Virginia being taken by icy cold Malfoy. Ginny could see the wheels turning in Hermione's head and said, "No, it wasn't like that. _I_ kissed _him_. Oh, that couldn't have made things better."

  


"No, not really. Is that why you've been ignoring Harry?"

  


"Partly," she answered with a dark look. Then she quickly stood up. "Hey, listen, you can't tell anyone else, please? I've got some things to work out," and she went to the wardrobe to change.

  


"Alright, I won't, but where do you think this thing you have with is going? Is there even a 'thing'?" Ginny thought over the words, but dismissed them as she grabbed a cloak. It was a chilly night, after all.

  


"Ginny, listen to me," Hermione tried in vain, "do you even know his intentions? Or how many girls he's had?"

  


But Ginny was too busy to reply and with a quick "Thanks, Hermione" and peck on each cheek she was gone. Hermione moved to the door and shouted after her, "Well, be careful, Ginny," not sure if she heard her warning. Going back to her chair, she softly muttered, "Malfoy? Honestly, girls and crushes..." and proceeded to finish her work.

  


\---

  


In the commons, Harry and Ron were playing chess. Harry had a slight advantage, but Ron quickly countered and won the match.

  


"Good game," Ron gloated with a smile, "but still not good enough to beat me."

  


"Don't be so sure that next time I won't be better," Harry replied, then spotted Ginny practically flying down the steps from the girls' dormitory. He glanced at Ron and nodded towards her, then stood to go to her. Ginny all but ignored him, but gave him a nod and a tiny smile. Her gestures looked as if to say, " _Don't worry, you won't wake up in a bed full of your own hair that I've snipped off with a pair of rusty scissors, not that it would make_ _any difference_ ," then continued out the Portrait hole.

  


"What was that about," Ron wondered, noticing the look she gave Harry.

  


"I don't know. She's been acting that way since...you know..." Harry sat back down and ran his fingers through his hair like he knew what her smile and nod meant. "I really wish it hadn't happened that way. She seemed crushed."

  


"Yeah," Ron agreed. "But at least she isn't so mad that she's plotting against you, right."

  


Harry thought for a moment and scrunched his eyebrows together, then said, "No, I don't think she's mad at all. She's been turning a blind eye to me, but she's definitely not mad."

  


"Well, you did the right thing, mate. That crush of hers was really making both of us uncomfortable," Ron reflected, kicking his feet up on the table. Then, as if a light came on, Ron realized what time it was: 11:48 p.m. "Harry," he exclaimed, "do you know what time it is? It's almost midnight!"

  


"So?" Harry murmured. He was studying at the chessboard to see what he moved he could have made to win. Suddenly, like the light of a new morning, it dawned on him. Ginny left the Gryffindor dorms.

  


\---

  


The Owlery was quite lively in the night. All of the school's owls, and some of the students', were wide-awake. Their eyes were bright and round, like you'd see on the Muggle cartoons where the main character would find themselves in a dark environment filled with glowing eyes. They were watching Ginny's every move, which slightly unsettled her, but she had something to do.

  


Instead of using her own owl as a message envoy, she decided that the anonymity of the school's owls would keep curious people from knowing it was from her to

  


Draco. She pulled out her wand and murmured, " _Lumos_ ," and quickly set to writing a note to Draco. She made sure that he would know who it was from by tying it with a small, red ribbon, reminiscent of her hair.

  


She looked about for an owl. Every time before, she picked an owl different than the last. The owl she picked this time was snowy white with brown mottled wing tips.

  


She attached the note to its leg. "Fly quickly, pet," she told the bird after giving it its destination and released it to the night air. At that point, she just waited...

  


\---

  


The Slytherin commons was quiet. All of the house's residents had retreated to their rooms, either for resting or plotting purposes.

  


But Draco Malfoy was doing neither.

  


He was lounging on the leather couch, which he had especially imported for his comfort ( _Why be rich if you can't shove the fact in the commoners' faces?_ he thought at the time), staring at the fire. The firelight illuminated the room, but did little to warm it. Although it was a little cool, he was used to far colder temperatures...

  


This night, as on a few others before it, he was waiting on an owl. _Ah, Ginny, don't keep me waiting long,_ he thought to himself. He couldn't voice his thoughts (there was an ever ongoing intra-house competition going on where every conniving Slytherin was trying to gain top positions, in which Draco did have _the_ top position and there could be spies everywhere), so he kept them to himself, like he'd done for years before.

  


But now he had Ginny Weasley to tell his thoughts to, _if_ he wished to at all. Oh, what turn of events brought them together. Yes, the Malfoy lineage and the Weasley people never did get along and yes, Draco could be _Crucio_ 'ed for the rest of his natural born life and into the hereafter for even _thinking_ of liking a Muggle-lover, but what the hell? You only live once.

  


But _what_ actually brought them together, Draco still couldn't explain. It started as revenge, him plotting on how to best get to the Weasel, and what better way than through the heart of a younger sister? Then it changed to lust, his every waking moment nearly driven by the need to touch her, to take her. The last straw to his emotions broke when he witnessed her most humiliating rejection and at the hands of that no good Potter, too! He saw how when he said the words 'I would never love you,' her spirit crumpled and died. That day, he discovered a whole other reason to hate The Boy Who Lived.

  


When he saw her cry, the tug on his heart became too much to bear. So okay, he knew what brought him to her. _One day_ , he supposed, _I'll tell her._ What he didn't know, and wanted to know, was why she had a sudden change of heart about him. Or was it even sudden? Maybe she's always been hiding the side he brings out in her, which was wild and carefree.

  


While Draco was still staring at the burning wood, the owl came swooping in and dropped the note in his lap. Noticing the coloring of the owl, Draco made a half-smile as he opened the note, which read:

  


 _D,_

_Meet me at the regular location. Send the owl back, and I will be on my way._

_G._

  


Standing up and stretching like a cat just arisen from its midday nap and ready to prowl, he tossed the note in to the fire, and watched the flames consume it. As the whirling wisps of smoke rose from its ashes, Draco was already gone.

  


\---

  


Ginny didn't notice how much time elapsed, but when the owl she sent returned she knew it was time.

  


Pulling the cloak tighter around her and tugging the hood down farther to hide her face, she set out for the Tower. It wouldn't be good for her if she was recognized...

  


...but watching, unbeknownst to her, was Harry and Ron, underneath the Invisibility Cloak. Silently, they followed her.

\---

  


As she neared the rendezvous point to meet Draco, she heard a noise behind her. Seeing no one there, she dismissed it as the creak of the building or snore of one of the paintings' habitants, she continued on.

  


Draco saw her before she saw him. He was leaning against a window open to the clear night sky. When Ginny neared, a smile came to her lips as she saw he was just wearing a long sleeve white turtleneck shirt and black pants with a belt that soon became her favorite. Undoing her cloak, she tossed it to the floor, to be as underdressed as him with just a pink blouse and black skirt on.

  


"Draco," she breathed as they embraced, "did I keep you waiting long?"

  


"Not at all. I was just admiring the view...of you, I mean, as you were walking my way," he replied with a sly grin. "Shall we go outside, or just head back to my room?"

  


Playfully patting his chest and pulling him by the belt, she said, "Outside, I think the view is better."

  


As they ascended the final stairs to the top, Harry and Ron stood livid, and for the same reasons: A) Ginny was out late with Malfoy, B) Ginny was 'familiar' with Malfoy, and C) Ginny was _with_ _Malfoy!_  


  


While Harry stood slack-jawed and pale faced, Ron attempted to run after Malfoy and beat him to a bloody pulp. "Malfoy!" he growled through gritted teeth, "is with my younger and only _sister_! First I'll kill him, then...then I'll kill her a little!"

  


Harry grabbed Ron by the arm and kept him under the Cloak. "Relax, Ron. We don't know what's going on. Maybe...it's...um...oh, screw it, this is just bad any way you slice it."

  


Trying to control his temper, Ron tried to reason through it. "No, maybe she has a good reason. Oh gods in the heavens, let her have a good reason!" A small voice in the back of his head said, _And what if that good reason is to shag Malfoy senseless?_  


Ron began cracking up, his mind boggling with images, sounds, and worst of all, smells! "No!!! I can't take this anymore, Harry. If I see anymore, there's gonna be blood shed tonight!"

  


"Yeah, let's go. We'll talk to her about it in the morning." All the while, Harry was thinking, _Did I drive her to him? Just please, please, don't let her go to his room!_  


  


With this, the two left in a state far worse than when they began, and for Ginny and Draco, the fun was just beginning.

  


\---

  


The night was just beginning for those two. The starry night was twinkling at the lovers, and the cool night breeze caressed their skin. The two were flirting with Nature herself.

  


Ginny sprinted to the edge of the Tower. She was gazing up to the heavens. She turned quickly, glanced at Draco and smiled. "Come to me," she said, opening her arms to him.

  


Draco strolled after her, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his lips. "Do you have something to give me?"

  


"Maybe. You'll only find out if you get here," she replied.

  


Draco came closer to his temptress and reached out, holding her with his lean arms. "So, where's that gift?" His silvery gray eyes were glittering in the starlight, making his eyes dance.

  


Her own eyes danced mischievously. "Right here," she replied sultrily. She brought her lips up to his. She bit the lower lip once, twice, three times, teasing him.

  


"Oh, you're such a teasing minx," he groaned with desire.

  


"Well, minxes and ferrets have always gotten along," she teased. "And I'm your minx, right?" She ran her fingers up the side of his chest, underneath his shirt. He shivered again, from a mix of the cold and her touch.

  


"Are you, Virginia?" His countenance turned serious. "Are you mine?" He took her hands and looked deep in her chocolate brown eyes.

  


Ginny sighed, and said, "I'm afraid I belong to no one, Draco. At least, not yet, anyway." A faint sad smile appeared and she asked, "Why do you ask?"

  


Draco tilted his head to the side slightly. "Ginny, you never quite told me what I do for you. Why did your opinion of me change so much?"

  


"I could ask the same of you," she replied softly. Ginny thought for a moment as she gazed up at the moon. She pressed herself closer to his body and cleared her mind. "But, I could better answer that if I were warmer," and a coy smile played upon her face.

  


  
 _Who is this vixen and what spell has she wrung over my heart?_ he thought as she took him again by the belt that became his favorite, too, and led him to _his_ room.

  


\---

  


"Wait here," Draco ordered. "I'll see if the coast is clear."

  


Ginny said nothing, but hid in the shadows. At the Portrait hole, Draco gave the password (which was 'Sally sells seashells' for some odd reason). Peering into the room, he didn't see anyone, so he waved her in.

  


This was Ginny's first time in the Slytherin house (and doubted anyone from any other house had entered as well) and she was surprised by the adornments. Aside from the large leather couch nicely positioned facing a grand fireplace, there were rugs of obviously different origins depicting what seemed to be the same story. There was a rather large painting of Salazar Slytherin above entryway, too. Other things in her own house appeared here, too, but they didn't add to any sense of familiarity she might've had at seeing them. Overall, she only got the impression of indifference and emptiness. _Poor Draco..._  


  


He took her hand and led the way to his bedroom. He felt he didn't have to admit this wasn't the first time he'd brought a girl to his room. Nearly every girl in Slytherin could attest to that.

  


Before Draco could open the door to his chambers, Ginny halted.

  


"Draco, what do you expect from me? Tell me now or I won't go through that door." The dark glint in her eye showed she was serious, but the less time they lingered in the open the more secure they'd be.

  


"Ginny, don't be contrary. But believe me now when I say I have no intention of taking advantage of you," he smirked. His face wasn't a mask with her now, but from years of not showing emotion, it'd become semi-permanent. Still, his voice betrayed him as it held a slight sign of unease. He quickly reaffirmed his Malfoyness by stating that it was her idea to come back in the first place.

  


Deciding it was a moot point to continue while in the hall, she reached for the doorknob herself. Before he could warn or stop her, the charmed handle had burned her.

  


A burst of stars appeared before her eyes, followed by an intense pain. Before she knew it, he pushed her back against the wall and jammed one hand lengthwise into her mouth, between her teeth. "Bite down," he told her, "and don't stop until I tell you to." His eyes showed he wouldn't take no for an answer. She nodded, her eyes tearing from the pain. If it wasn't for his hand acting as a gag, she knew she'd have screamed till there was no air left in her lungs.

  


With his free hand, he opened the door then forced the weight of her body to lean on him as he backed them both inside. He was secretly amazed that she was so light, but she had a hell of a bite. Ginny began feeling light-headed and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was so excruciating, she didn't think twice about how she could've been hurting his hand.

  


Then a wave of pain sent her into a convulsion and she drew blood. Draco sharply inhaled and at the same time Ginny threw her eyes open. He looked at her and saw in her expression a mix of pain and contrition. But she didn't stop, she knew what they had to lose.

  


He kicked the door shut and drew her over to the bed. He laid her gently on her back and climbed on top her. "I'm going to remove my hand soon," he said calmly. "Hold your hand out."

  


She complied and with his wand he muttered a counter hex. The pain was instantly gone, she still had the _memory_ of the pain and that alone caused her to cry out. After a good few minutes, her body relaxed and he removed his hand and climbed off her somewhat reluctantly. He examined his hand; both sides were marked with bleeding half-moons. She looked at them and realized she could still taste the blood on her lips. He watched intently as her red tinted lips parted to reveal a tongue that darted out to catch the rest of his blood.

  


"Oh, Draco," she began ineptly, "I'm so sorry." She averted her eyes, but held his injured hand in hers and cleaned the wounds. She tore strips of cloth from the bottom of her skirt, which was fortunately knee-length, and wrapped his hand with it. "I'm sorry...I hope this helps."

  


"I should've warned you about the door," he said with a pained smirk. "It's a spell I use to keep intruders out." He raised her head to face him and gazed in her eyes. "Besides, it's not as bad as it looks. I've dealt with worse," he continued quietly, letting the implied truth become apparent to her. "And don't worry about the others. I had this room soundproofed before I arrived."

  


Tears began afresh in her large, bright eyes and she smiled weakly. All the things she thought about when she was obsessed with Harry she now felt for him. She knew what he did for her, physically and emotionally. "Draco, I...you make me so...so confused."

  


"Then will you let me relieve you of that," he purred and gently pushed her back down against his bed, leading her with a passionate kiss. Her lips yielded to his advances and he could taste his own blood. He pulled away, giving her a quizzical glance, then began planting a row of feathery pecks along her neck. Her body arched into his and he ran a hand under her blouse, letting his fingers trail trippingly on her silky smooth skin.

  


Oh, the desire Ginny felt for Draco increased ten-fold. She let him stay his course, but soon became restless with want. She set to work on removing his shirt, the fabric rustling quietly as it came over his head. She ran her fingers over his smooth, yet toned chest, then lower still. "Quidditch sure does a body good," she said sultrily, squirming beneath him as his body responded to her touch.

  


Draco chuckled, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Have your mind set in exploring, do you?" His eyes flickered to the grandfather clock in the corner as it rang out in clear tones to signify that it was 2 a.m. and he stood, bringing Ginny to her feet as well. "Ah, but that'll have to come later. It's gotten too late for you to stay any longer."

  


Ginny gazed at him longingly, perhaps also with love, as he donned a black t-shirt that fitted his body like a glove. "Yeah. But let's not do the pain thing any time soon. They headed for the door. "Maybe I'm saving that for later."

  


Draco raised an eyebrow and opened the door. _Hard to believe this is the same Ginny. Or is she?_ He kissed her one last time before they left his room. _This is definitely a secret worth keeping._  


  


\---

  


Draco had stayed with her through the corridors until he was sure she would be safely back in her room. He didn't care that that meant going with her half-way through the school avoiding every living, and no longer living, thing. She was glad to have his company and didn't mind the protective arm draped over her shoulders the whole way.

  


Ginny strolled up to the Portrait hole with an elated feeling. The night's activities caused the adrenaline to flow through her veins. She was happy, the rebellion against her former life made her happy. She had discarded the old (as in Harry,) and welcomed the new ( _hello_ , Draco). She was sure that now, no matter what the 'thing' they had going was, it was way past being purely companionable.

  


The Fat Lady was fast asleep. Ginny cleared her throat and the picture stirred. "Well, I don't believe it," the woman said incredulously, "but have you any idea what time it is?"

  


"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to enter," Ginny said politely, yet urgently. She was fascinated by the portraits on occasion, but they were entirely too nosy sometimes.

  


The woman took an indignant air and said, "Well, the password?"

  


"Fireflies," came the reply and Ginny entered the room. The sight that greeted her froze her at the spot she stood.

  


Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all awake and in the room. Ron was pacing the floor, nearly eroding a groove in the floor. He was muttering half-coherent phrases about 'Weasley standards,' 'Malfoy trash," and 'corruption spells'. Harry was sitting on the edge of a table, rubbing his eyes as if to relieve stress. He looked much older and world-weary than he'd ever been before. Hermione was sitting in an armchair watching Ron walk back and forth. Then Hermione shifted her gaze and caught sight of Ginny. She stood, and the guys stopped what they were doing to look at her, then they noticed her, too.

  


Ron was the first one to say anything. "Ginny, what the hell!" he erupted. "You have _any_ idea of what time it is? Wait, screw the time, we know where you were tonight!" By 'we' he gestured to the others, who had adopted scolding looks.

  


Ginny shot Hermione a glare that said " _You told?!"_ Hermione shook her head, and said, "I didn't tell them. They followed you."

  


The boys sent Hermione homicidal stares. They didn't know she knew, but at the same time, if looks could kill, Ginny would have seen both boys drop dead then and there.

  


"I don't believe this! You followed me? Who gave either of you the right?"

Ron absolutely blew a fuse. His face turned three different shades of red. Then he turned deathly white as he declared, "That right was bestowed to me the minute you were born!"

  


"Well, then I wish I wasn't born!" Ginny stated with equal ferocity, causing the other three to gape at her shocking behavior redirection. Changing gears, she pointed at Harry. "You! You and your stupid Invisibility Cloak and Marauder's Map! I should have known," she scoffed. Harry's outward expression didn't change a bit, and he remained silent.

  


Before Ron could retort, Hermione grabbed his arm, pacifying him. He growled and turned away from Ginny. "Let's all calm down," she spoke gently, being the voice of reason. "Now we might as well get it out in the open that Ginny was with Malfoy tonight. But I don't feel that she's done anything wrong except leave at an _ungodly_ hour." Hermione looked at Ginny like a mother who's just admitted to herself that their little child has grown up and can make decisions for themselves.

  


Ron whirled around. "Wrong? Wrong? Hermione, everything and that is wrong!"

  


Harry cleared his throat. The whole time he hadn't spoke, he just observed Ginny. Now he said, "No, Ron, she's right... there's nothing wrong with that. Ginny's a big girl." The way he said 'girl' made her feel smaller than 32 centimeters.

  


Ginny huffed. "Thank you, Harry, not that I need your help. Or that it's any of your business. You turned me down, remember?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows at that last particularly vicious remark, and she felt slightly shamed at saying it.

  


"Damn it," Ron grumbled, running his hands down his face in a show of exasperation. "Not you, too, Harry. You were there, you saw what happened. How can you trust that git?" Ginny waved his concerns away with a swipe of her hand, and in that instant, Ron's eyes opened wide in astonishment. He darted forward and grabbed her by the wrist, palm up.

  


"Ouch, you're hurting me!" she exclaimed and wrenched her hand away.

  


"What the hell is that?" he demanded. She blinked a few times, trying to figure out what he meant. Then she looked at her hand. Clearly marked on her palm was a capital M. She hadn't noticed it before, and wondered when it appeared, but now wasn't the time.

  


"I, I don't know," she stammered. It looked like a welt, then she remembered the burning pain when she tried opening Draco's door.

  


The others gathered around her. Harry was concerned, but said nothing, while Hermione traced the symbol with a finger. Unexpectedly, Ginny shivered.

  


"What happened tonight, Ginny?" Hermione asked. She had seen things like this, when studying in the library, and knew it was a brand, the result of a security charm. She thought of an explanation, but refrained from telling the others what she knew of it.

  


"Why do you have this M, Gin?" Ron asked, his tone more tender with the use of his childhood name of his sister.

  


She stared dumbly at the M. "I was opening the door." She blinked back tears as she again recalled the sensation the spell caused. Pain unrivaled. A mini _Crucio._ "Malfoy's door."

  


"He's behind this, then," Ron said accusingly and shook his fist, making Ginny cringe. A hard look surfaced to his eyes. "I'll make him pay."

  


"No! It wasn't on purpose. I didn't know..." her words trailed off defensively. She didn't want to make their opinions of Draco any worse than they already were, though she doubted they would ever get better.

  


Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against a table. "What were you doing in Malfoy's room, Ginny? Don't you know how reckless that is? He just can't be trusted." His frank tone riled Ginny.

  


"You don't even know him!" she spat. "You didn't even want to get to know him. And I...I trust him. He wouldn't hurt me."

  


"So torn skirts just _happen_ to be in style?" Harry parried. He stood and approached Ginny. The closeness of his body sent her head spiraling. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and it sent shivers down her spine. _Damn my body!_ she thought venomously. He fingered the strap of her chemise and continued in a sotto voice, "And you avoided my question. I think you have something to hide. In fact, I think that story about the door is a lie. I think I know the truth, though. What, did you have sex with him? Did he _brand_ you like cattle to prove you're his property?" Ginny blushed a deep red and shook her head in disbelief. She never knew Harry could be so hateful.

"Bastard," she hissed, "I didn't sleep with Draco. I'm still a _virgin_!"

  


Ron couldn't hear what they were saying, but looked about ready to burst again. "Stop it, the both of you. Ginny, what were you doing there? Just give us a straight answer."

  


Ginny was so tired of arguing she simply gave in. "We were talking, like we've done many nights before. But tonight was my first time in his room, honest." _And the last_ , Ron said to himself.

  


"Yeah, you've really painted a picture for us. We feel like we were there," Harry said sardonically.

  


"Oh, I see, no one believes the guilty, huh? As I see it, I'm only guilty of liking Draco."

  


"Which is bad enough in itself. That guy's a total tool," Harry retorted. Ginny looked at him again, realizing he was jealous. The notion that _he_ was jealous of _Draco_ over _her_ brought a smile to her face.

  


"Speak for yourself, Harry." Hermione looked Ginny straight in the eye. "I believe her. And I trust her." Ginny sighed with gratitude. "Now, what's done is done. Come on, Ginny, I'll clean up your hand in our room. Good night, boys." The girls left, leaving the guys to themselves.

  


"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ron asked Harry.

  


"Yeah, I think we should pay the ferret a visit..." and Harry and Ron retired to their room to plot the day Malfoy would pay.

  



	3. Chapter 3

Part One

 

 _Where once was light_

_Now darkness calls_

_Where once was love_

_Love is no more_

_-Gollum's Song_

\---

Draco awoke with a feeling of dread. It seemed odd to him, seeing how all night he dreamed of Ginny and what plans they might do together. Even recollecting of the night's good, and the bad, parts didn't let him shake that feeling.

He went on, though, despite it. He wore his dressier school robes that day, not too formal, but they were exquisite enough to make sure everyone noticed him when he walked in a room, not he needed help to be noticed.

 

Unlike some people. Meaning Potter, of course.

 

His mood fouled considerably when he thought of that worthless bastard. How could he, who really didn't do anything at all except be saved by his mother's wards, get everything Draco had to work for? It wasn't fair, but, in a rare bout of empathy, he supposed it wasn't fair that both his parents were murdered.

 

 _Wow_ , he mused as he straightened his tie, _Ginny's 'goodness' must be rubbing off on me._

 

\---

 

Breakfast at the Gryffindor table was eerily silent. At one end of the table, Hermione and Ginny chatted, while occasionally sending bad vibes to the boys, who were in turn plotting against Malfoy and trying to figure girls out. Needless to say, their coldness towards each had adverse effects on everyone seated between them, though only those four knew exactly why.

 

Ginny passively pushed her food around the plate and idly nibbled the toast. Her mind was on Draco. She wanted with all her being to walk over to him and take on the table then and there. She also wantedo other things, and have things done to her, but they were too improper, hell, they were down-right naughty. Why, she contemplated as a sly grin played upon her otherwise innocent face, did Draco bring this new side of me out?

 

"You're thinking about him, right?" Hermione asked. After seeing the faraway look in Ginny's eyes, she huffed, "Hello? Anyone home?"

 

Ginny snapped out it. She found she was unknowingly gazing at Draco, who was sitting across the room and decisively not looking at her, but was stealing glances every now and then.

 

"Sorry Hermione. What were you saying?" Ginny looked a little embarrassed and took a sip of orange juice.

 

She sighed, not because she was unhappy, but because of envy. "What do you see in him, Ginny?" she asked without beating around the bush.

 

"I don't know, it's like some kind of attraction between us that's undeniable." She knew she spoke the truth, she felt it resonate in her bones.

 

"Yeah, but isn't it only physical? I mean, you can't have forgotten all the things he and his family has done to you and yours."

 

"It isn't only physical," she stated, realizing she just admitted to the animal urges she felt with him, "it's emotional, too." Then her tone became solemn. "And I don't hold him to his past actions or his family. You also haven't seen him with me. He's totally different."

 

"Is that good or bad?" Hermione asked with a giggle.

 

"Very good. Maybe he's changing." Ginny saw Draco was being pestered by Pansy Parkinson (his body language suggested he was highly annoyed), then he turned and caught her eye. In that brief second of recognition, which seemed time stopped to her, he smiled, and the message was clear to her. _Meet me tonight._

 

But time in the here and now went on. Hermione giggled again and Ginny looked away from Draco. "Or maybe he's a fantastical liar," she replied without rancor. "But I will believe it when I see it. Which may be sooner than I thought."

 

Hermione nodded towards the Slytherins, and Ginny gasped. Walking, no, strolling towards her was Draco. Ginny looked around. Surprisingly no one else noticed, except Harry and Ron, who were watching Draco like hawks watch mice in wide, open fields. Harry switched from Draco to her, his eyes hardened with vehemence. She shook her head just as Draco reached them.

 

"What's wrong, Virginia? Disappointed to see me?" he asked with a smirk. Both girls were astonished by his audacity, but how else should a Malfoy be? "Hello, Granger. How are you?"

 

Hermione gaped for a few moments, then quickly said, "Fine...I'm, uh, fine." She swallowed a moment, waiting for him to say something, but he only looked at her politely with cool gray eyes. After regaining her wits, she asked, "How are you?"

 

"I'm good," he responded with a shine in his eye. "I just came over to see how you were doing, Ginny." He turned around and saw Pansy was gawking, but then quickly turned around herself in a huff. "As you saw, I was being unwantedly pursued," he shrugged. "She wants to get back together."

 

"And what did you tell her?" Ginny asked possessively. She wouldn't stand to lose him, just as he wouldn't lose her, without a fight.

 

He shrugged again. "I told her she could hope, plead, and pray all she wanted, at least it would give her a different way to wear her knees out." Ginny burst out laughing while Hermione covered her mouth with a hand. Down the table, the boys were hacked off. They couldn't hear what was being said, except they, and everyone else, could hear Ginny's laugh loud and clear. Ron clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, while Harry glared at Malfoy with all the contempt he had within himself.

 

"Oh, Draco, you didn't!" Ginny and Hermione exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other and began another round laughing as Draco looked on with amusement. The boys' animosity for Malfoy grew significantly.

 

Draco grinned, then caught sight of the looks he was garnering, especially from Ron and Harry. His grin turned to a smug smirk. "Well, looks like I'll go now." He turned to go, but instead bent and gave Ginny a kiss full on the lips.

 

Gasps filled the hall. Mid-kiss, Draco's eyes darted to the end of the table, and he smirked, again! Ron hit the table and started to stand, but Harry held him down. After he released her, he said, "I'll see you later, Gin." She was immobile for several moments, still holding her shocked, but delighted position, the kiss put her in. She finally managed to say, "Yeah...yeah, later."

 

He sauntered out of the hall to the Prefects' lounge. Two moments after he left, Pansy followed. Hermione said, "Wow. I see what you mean."

 

"Yeah, very good, right?" Ginny caught her breath, then had to catch it again as she saw Harry and Ron approaching them. "Oh, don't look now. It's the secret police."

 

"Hello, Ron, Harry," Hermione said to keep the peace. "How can we help you?"

 

"You can help us by telling us what just happened here," Ron retorted. He crossed his arms and said, "Well, Ginny, what was that about?"

 

Ginny folded her hands neatly on her lap and said, as polite as you please, "None of your business."

 

Harry slammed a hand on the table, making everyone jump, even Ron. "God _damn_ it Ginny! Who the fuck do you think you're playing with?!" All eyes turned to Harry. He didn't care, he was used to it.

 

"Whoa, calm down, mate," Ron said apprehensively. No one knew where he kept such anger, but considering what transpired last year, Ron thought it might have grown out of his resentment of his parents' death. "You're scaring them." _And not to_ _mention me_ , he added in his thoughts.

 

Harry turned to Ron and took a deep breath. When he next looked at Ginny, she saw the old Harry she used to know, then a callous gleam washed over his eyes, as if he were fighting an internal struggle against an eviler side of him and he was losing fast.

 

She filled with compassion and stood to hug him. She noticed how he slightly recoiled from her touch, then felt him warm up to her as he hugged back. In his ear she spoke softly, her tone cautionary. "If you prick me, I bleed, and right now I'm bleeding from a particularly unforgivable prick. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to move on with my life."

 

Harry stiffened and she tried reading his eyes again, but they were unclear, like a cloud inside emerald gems. She gave him a peck on the cheek, and moved to escape his arms, but he tightened his grip about her waist and whispered back harshly, "You can't get away from me, Virginia. I _won't_ let you go." Ginny yanked herself out of his grip, a hard look mirrored in their eyes, and left without a word more. Harry watched her go as if she was his alone and he would soon reclaim her.

 

As Hermione stood and gathered her books, she said in a measured tone, "You boys have become obsessed with that girl's business. Leave her be, or no good will come of it," and she, too, left them standing there.

 

Ron turned to Harry, who hadn't moved at all as the girls left, and asked, "What did Ginny tell you?"

 

Harry replied, "That this means we carry out the plan today!" His robes swirled about him as he exited the hall in a manner very much becoming of a Slytherin.

 

Ron, without warning, felt a cold draft pass over him. He ignored it, and followed his friend, wherever he was going.

 

\---

 

"Now add three, and only three, scales of the salamanders provided. Their special diet has endowed scales with a poison that will kill you if not administered in the correct proportions to the rest of the potion," Professor Snape instructed. It was another double class of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Snape begrudgingly admitted it was his favorite class to teach, if not because his best and most skilled student was present, then because of the many opportunities to dock points from the rival house of Gryffindor.

 

Snape glided up and down the rows, looking over students' work. He returned to the front and sighed. _Their incompetence is immeasurable_ , he thought morosely to himself. _I'm surprised that half of them are still standing._ "Once the brew turns red to pink, let it stand for thirty minutes until my inspection. You will be expected to drink the mix, so if the color c does not occur and you still drink the mix, you run the risk of your untimely demise. If you decide not to complete the test today, you will receive detentions every night with me until you have it right.

 

Many students from both houses looked nervously at their potions. Nearly half of them were lavender, which was not a planned result, and they weighed the repercussions of drinking the potentially deadly blend with countless nights with Snape breathing down their backs.

 

But Draco Malfoy simply sat back and smirked. He had completed the entire procedure a full twenty minutes before the rest of the class. He truly appreciated the individual assignments Snape gave, it gave him a chance to catch up on his torturing the Weasel and Potter.

 

He stretched his long legs in front of him and observed them. Weasley was hunched over his cauldron, a gray smoke billowing around him like mist on a cold morning. Draco was pretty sure the fumes could have been toxic, and he softy chuckled to himself with the idea of Weasley keeling over.

 

Potter heard the quiet laughter and looked up. His eyes met Draco's. Then he did something out of the blue. He smirked. Harry Potter, the Golden Boy, stole Draco Malfoy's, the Heir Apparent of Slytherin, patented evil smirk. All traces of levity disappeared from Draco's face as he glared back at Harry. As if it was unanimous, war was declared.

 

Snape looked over the class and made an excuse to leave for a short amount of time. Either he didn't notice, or chose not to, the tension building between Draco and Harry, but he left them all with a warning and an order to continue working.

 

Draco saw his opportunity to strike. He stood and strode up to Harry and Ron. They practically bristled, but he ignored them. "Well, well, Potter, it seems you're having trouble with a simple Levitation potion. What's wrong? Can't keep up now that Granger no longer joins us?"

 

Harry stared at him with cold, unsettling eyes. "I think you're the one that's going to have a problem, Malfoy," he threatened as he stood. "So sod off if you know what's good for you, also as in, stay away from Ginny."

 

"I'm sorry, Potter, you must not have known; I _don't_ know what's good for me, will you tell me?" Draco's tone dripped with feigned naivete.

 

Ron said hotly, "Damn right you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have gone after my sister!"

 

Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, the Weasel speaks! And here I thought Potter did all your talking for you," Draco sniped back, then leaned in closer. "And speaking of your sister -"

 

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron shouted, causing a few students to send their cauldrons crashing to the floor. Ron advanced on Draco, making him retreat, another thing Malfoys don't do. "If I _ever_ hear you talk of my sister again -"

 

"Ron," Harry said as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "cool it. We've plenty of time." Ron bared his teeth at Malfoy a final time before returning to his cauldron. "Watch your step Malfoy," Harry warned just as Snape reentered the room, "or the results could be bad for your health."

 

Draco sneered in reply as he returned to his seat. Snape had returned with Madame Pomfrey. The audible gulp the majority of the class made it clear they knew why she was there; if any of the brews were made incorrectly and quaffed, she would be their first line of defense against death.

 

Snape scanned the room to estimate how many students she would have to treat, and carried on with his directions. "I surmise that a good number of you I'll be seeing later, so if you aren't proceeding now, dispose of your potions now. However, those of you who can capably brew such simply ingredients, fill your flasks and come to the front of the class."

 

All at once, all the students went about with their tasks. Draco hadn't filled his flask yet, and couldn't find it on his desk. He leaned over to check if it fell to the floor. It had, indeed, fallen and he went ahead to fill it. In all the confusion with everyone moving around and Draco's momentary distraction from his cauldron, Harry and Ron implemented their plan. Ron had swiped a few extra salamander scales and Harry levitated them into Draco's mixture, knowing the consequences could be Malfoy's death and their expulsion.

 

Harry glanced sideways at Ron as the potion was now a lighter red than the pink it had been before. Harry winked, which was full of a malice usually reserved for Malfoy. Ron paled as Snape began to go down the line the students formed. The line order had him go before Harry, then Malfoy was sometime after him. Harry gulped his potion down with confidence; within a few seconds, he was floating a foot above the ground. Snape regarded his feat coldly, but gave him good marks. When Ron drank, he had to jump for a couple of minutes, then he suddenly shot up in the air, hovering for a while until Snape retrieved him with a spell. Draco scoffed and made snide remark that sparked fire in Harry's eyes, but Ron was so dizzy all he could hear was Madame Pomfrey's soothing voice.

 

Then it was Draco's turn. Harry and Ron glared at him, with combined looks of expectation, hatred, and trepidation. Draco noticed, assumed a smug smirk, and downed the potion.

 

\---

 

Draco downed the potion. He stood for several seconds, expecting to lift gracefully off the ground, but instead his lean frame started to shake uncontrollably. His eyes flew open, pain shot through his body, and the last thing he remembered was Harry's face looming above him in the darkness, spite distorting his face...

\---

 

"He's what?!" Ginny exclaimed.

 

She was in Arithmancy when she heard the news. Madame Pomfrey hadn't told her; the entire school was abuzz with Draco's sudden condition: he was comatose. The rumors worse still. Many said he was poisoned, that much was confirmed by Snape, and more supposed that Harry was the one responsible. No matter their current predicament of a relationship, she hoped the gossip was unfounded. "I have to go to him," she resolved. _For his sake and mine._

 

After the class was over, instead of going to dinner, she went to where she figured he'd be. Her footfalls echoed her heartbeats, fast and resounding. Thoughts over the worst flew threw through her mind at a rapid pace. Confusion and panic colored her face, but she was set to her purpose, driven by an emotion or will that seemed foreign to her. This must be what it feels like to care for one so much.

 

As she sped into the infirmary, her breath hitched in her throat. The room was darkened, but a lone bed in the back was illuminated. The figure was still. _Draco_ , she thought worriedly. She rushed forward and fell to her knees at his bedside.

 

He looked like an angel except for the sunken quality of his face. A deathly pallor colored his visage and any vitality that was present that night in the Astronomy Tower was hidden, deep under the inducements of the poison. She gingerly touched a hand to his cheek. There was a faint warmth and she trembled with relief and sorrow. Her hand slid to his lips, which were shaded a light blue, like he'd been outside on a breezy winter day. Wanting to warm them she pressed her mouth to his and a tear slipped from her eye. A chill spark tingled her spine and she thought she felt a reaction from him. But the only change she had affected was the flush of his lips. She sighed and closed her eyes. An old prayer she had learned when she was young, a prayer her mother would say to her and her brothers at bedtime. She said it would always keep them safe as they slept and they'd always wake up happy...now she hoped the prayer would protect Draco while he slumbered, but would stir him from it soon.

 

Behind Ginny and Draco, beyond their circular veil of light, a figure was draped in darkness. He stepped forward soundlessly and the light washed over his form.

 

"Hello, Virginia."

 

\---

 

 _Sleep tight_

_Moonlight_

_Protects you in the night_

_Morning's a new day_

_Waken and depart_

_From the troubles_

_Of days gone away_

 

As if through a muted fog, Draco heard a female voice softly sing what seemed to him a plea. He opened his eyes slowly to see who was saying it, but he was alone. He became wary and took his surroundings. _Where am I?_ he thought. He was in a windowless room of gray, with one lamp that swung slowly from the ceiling. He was sitting in a metal chair in the center of the room. He glanced at himself and recognized his school robes. He couldn't recall how he got wherever he was, couldn't even remember what happened that day, or even if it was the daytime or nighttime. He stood slowly to further survey his situation, and as he did so the recitation's orator became clear and it was...was Ginny. He tried his voice, tried calling out to her, but no sound came from his lips.

 

Just then the wall he was facing crumpled and he was blinded by sunlight. He raised his arms to shield his eyes and stepped out. The first thing, aside from the blinding light, was the smell of spring. He adjusted to the light and his eyes widened in awe. He was in the middle of a field. He turned around, but the gray room was gone. As far as he could see, he saw the field of flowers.

 

The prayer ceased and was replaced by a melancholy song about hope and broken promise. _This song is the first and_ only _song I've ever heard my mother sing,_ Draco thought with a frown. _Why is Ginny singing it?_ Then the scene changed... the sky darkened with rolling black clouds and the field became a barren wasteland. Draco knew that wherever he was, it certainly wasn't Hogwarts. And whatever caused this sudden change didn't mean good. Soon after, the song abruptly ended, and Draco heard and saw nothing.

 

\---

 

Ginny gave a start. She could feel her heartbeat thunder in her ears. "Harry, what...what are you doing here?" she asked a bit hotly. She still wasn't sure she believed the rumors or not.

 

"I could ask you the same thing, but I can see that for myself," he replied easily. He advanced towards her and waved slightly at the Draco's body. "You've come to pay your respects? How sweet."

 

Ginny recoiled imperceptibly from Harry and shook her head. "He's not dead," she said quickly.

 

Harry stopped walking and looked Ginny straight in the eye. To Ginny, it seemed as if he were wearing a cloak of disdain that poisoned his entire being. Without remorse he countered, "A miscalculation on my part."

 

Ginny flushed red with realization. "You...you did this to him!" she hissed. She stood slowly, her body tensed. She moved to place herself in front of Draco, as if to protect him from any harm Harry might continue to inflict on him in his weakened state. "You bastard! Why?"

 

The edges of Harry's lips curled upwards, but not into a smile, not like the ones that he would show her years ago, not like the ones that would brighten a room. If anything, it was a smile of darkness. He moved and was immediately at Ginny's side. He grabbed her arms and took in her scent. "You know why, Ginny," he breathed into her ear. She squirmed against his hold, but he was too strong for her.

 

"What do you want, me? You didn't, remember? So why don't you go harass someone else?" Her tone was full of disgust. Never, never had she ever wanted Draco at her side than at this moment.

 

Harry chuckled. "Harass? I thought I was being charming."

 

"You're just jealous," Ginny spat. Behind her, blocked from view, there was a slight motion on the bed.

 

Harry's mood darkened and his grip on her arms tightened. She squealed with pain. "Me?" he intoned, "I'm not jealous of that fucking prat!" Harry flew into a desirous rage and forcefully kissed Ginny. She swiftly brought her knee up, a maneuver she learned from her brothers, and Harry howled with pain. His green eyes blazed with hate and he flung her against a wall. He whipped his wand out pointed it at Draco. "You can't be jealous of something that doesn't exist! _Avada Kedavra!_ "

 

A brilliant flash of green light filled the entire room. Harry threw his arm up to shield his eyes and heard a shout. The light disappeared and he lowered his arm. He stiffened; Ginny was standing in front of his wand point, her arms thrown out from her sides. Her brown eyes were wide, her face showed no emotion. Harry stepped back from her, looked from his wand to her. She exhaled, and crumpled to the ground.

 

Harry's knees gave out and he kneeled at her body. She had protected Draco with the last of her life. Harry looked at the bed and gasped in shock.

 

\---

Draco heard muffled voices. One he knew was Ginny, the other a male. He clinched his fists at his side; he knew it was Harry. He couldn't open his eyes, but was aware of the familiar scent of Ginny and the tinge of magical undercurrents that flowed through Hogwarts. He felt as if he were disconnected from his body, trapped in his mind. He sensed from the energy in the room there was trouble. Fear, anger, passion emanated from Ginny and he received it with a shock. Her feelings tuned him back to the real world.

 

Then he discerned a scuffle and some shouted words. He tentatively listened. In his mind, he stiffened. He heard the Killing Curse, then lost the connection with Ginny. Emotion and thoughts flew through his body. He felt his consciousness slam back into his body; he reconnected.

 

\---

 

"NO!!"

 

The air filled with green electricity. Realizing what he meant to do, Ginny drew herself up and faced Harry. She would do anything to protect Draco, just as he would for her...

 

The spell shot through her heart like a bullet through an apple underwater. She gazed ahead of her. Harry lowered his arm and saw her, but her gaze was directed farther than him. She could see the past, the present, and the future that could have been. Draco was in that future...

 

\---

 

Harry stood and put his wand away. He slumped his shoulders and frowned. He moved backwards, towards the exit. He shook his head slowly. He finally found his voice and said, "I'm...I'm sorry. Oh, god, I'm sorry!" He turned away and ran out the infirmary without a glance back.

 

\---

 

Draco didn't understand. He swung his legs over the bed just as the blinding flash of green exploded over a figure in front of him. He frowned; no one can do the Killing Curse in Hogwarts, the wards against it are too strong and too many. But when it was over, and the figure, who looked like a red haired angel with green wingt hit like a ton a bricks. Alarms went off in his head and he recognized the still form of Ginny. He saw without seeing Harry kneel then saw troubled emerald meet his smoky gray. He didn't comprehend the words spoken, didn't know why he fled. He only knew the still form of Ginny on the floor.

 

Draco kneeled at the side of his beloved. She looked angelic. Her crimson hair spread wildly about her head, her robes fluttered on the ground. Her touched a hand to her cheek.

 

"No. No, you can't be dead," Draco uttered. He picked her up as if she were a bride and he the groom. He carried her by way of all the secret passages and obscure halls to his room.

 

He laid her gently on his bed. He rested his head on her chest in a show of grief. His shoulders shook slightly, then he sat up and stared at her. He felt a faint pulse.

 

\---

 

 

Part Two

 

 _All the roads we have to walk are winding_

_All the lights that lead us there are blinding_

 _There are many things I would like to say to you_

 _But I don't know how_

 

 _Because maybe_

_You're gonna be the one that saves me?_

_And after all_

_You're my wonderwall_

_-Wonderwall_

\---

 

Draco raced around his room. He finally found his wand and was ready to go.

 

 _I hope this works._ He lightly placed the tip of the wand over Ginny's heart, and muttered a spell. There was no change. He repeated it firmly. Still no change. He stood, focused his energy, and shouted the spell.

 

There was still no change. Draco was too late.

 

He slid down beside the bed, his back to her body. He buried his face in his hands. "You saved me," he said aloud. "But I couldn't save you. This is my fault. I'm so sorry." His barriers collapsed and his reservations broke down, but still, not a tear slid down from his eyes.

 

"Is that an apology, Malfoy?" a soft voice whispered behind him. He turned quickly and saw large russet eyes beaming down at him. Ginny Weasley was alive. Joy and relief unimaginable coursed between them. Draco stared dumbfounded. Ginny gingerly traced his jaw line, her eyes sparkling with life. "Because if it is, I'd rather have a kiss." Ginny drew Draco up from the floor to the bed. He searched her eyes and leaned into her passionate kiss.

 

She led the kiss. She made an adjustment and he was underneath her. Her lips found his again with a soft pressure. He permitted her entry, and she did so with a vitality their other kisses hadn't had. He was surprised, then she took off on another route. A mischievous smile appeared as she raised his shirt over his head. She stopped halfway, leaving him wondering why, then he soon knew why. With his vision hindered, it was as if she was everywhere at once. Her hands tripped over his bare chest, leaving hot trails behind. She ran a hand down his side, causing him to shiver with pleasure.

 

He tossed the shirt in a corner, and hesitantly asked, "Are you up to this?" he didn't want her doing anything that would hurt her, or that she would regret.

 

"I should be asking the same of you," she answered lightly, but with concern. "I mean, you were in a coma. What happened?" She laid by his side and looked intently up into his melodious gray eyes. Ginny's head was nestled in the crook of his arm, which he wrapped around her shoulders.

 

Draco thought back. "I remember...you." He tilted her chin higher and genuinely smiled at her. "Your voice...saying a prayer?"

 

She smiled with tears in her eyes. "You heard that?"

 

"Yes, and _you_ brought me back. I could feel you." Then Draco's tone became ominous. "And I could feel what that bastard-" His eyes flashed silver with recollection and Ginny pressed a finger to his lips.

 

"Let's not talk of that. Let's not talk at all. And," she added with a smile, "I'd like to pick up where we left off."

 

Draco caught on to her meaning. He sat up and nodded his agreement. Ginny got off the bed and slowly, teasingly removed her robe. Underneath, she was wearing a scarlet chemise with a regular skirt. Draco watched in amazement at the girl he knew he loved. A predatory gleam was in Ginny's eyes as she crawled towards Draco. She growled as she pulled his belt away with her teeth, then nuzzled his neck with her nose. Draco noted that she smelled of cinnamon and rosewood. _This girl is full of surprises._

 

Feeling a lot better, he pulled her into a kiss. She moaned as his hands made their way up her back.

 

"May I?" he asked as he stopped his hand at the smooth skin of her neck.

 

"Since when do you ask permission?" she replied gently.

 

He laughed quietly and said in her ear, "Since I'm in love."

 

She inhaled, then said, "I'm in love, too." Draco figured that if ever a dementor threatened him, he'd would always be prepared with this moment in mind.

 

\---

 

Harry wandered down the halls of Hogwarts like a dementor. Though the corridors were empty of students, the audio of the day played through his head. He finally saw himself as the others, as Ginny, did. The green-eyed monster took over and released its hold only when he'd killed its obsession.

 

Without knowing or caring how, he found himself at the staircase leading to the Headmaster's office. Only Dumbledore could save him now. His confession would be long...He figured that after what he did, he'd deserved the Kiss of a dementor.

 

\---

"Oh, Mione, what has he become?" Ron muttered into his hands. "I mean, we _poisoned_ another human, even if it was _Malfoy_."

 

Hermione thoughtfully chewed on the end of her quill. Ron was right, Harry did change, and not into the greatest of people. "Honestly, Ron, are you that _blind?_ He's in love with your sister," she scoffed.

 

Ron looked dumbfounded. "But...but she actually wanted to be with him in the first place." He twiddled his fingers, then quickly stood up. "Hermione! Is this because he's _jealous_? Oh, Hermione," he uttered. He slumped back into the chair and looked downright dejected.

 

Hermione tsked and went over to Ron. She kneeled at the side of his chair and patted his hand. She looked into his eyes and said, "Ron, don't worry. Malfoy will be fine and you and Harry will be fine. I'm sure Dumbledore will be lenient. No real harm was caused."

 

Ron nodded his head in agreement. Hermione smiled and he felt a weight lift from his chest. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here-"

 

Hermione put a finger to his lips. "Quiet, Weasley, and kiss me already." And he did.

 

\---

 

The morning light streamed into the Slytherin commons. It was the weekend, but many of the rooms were empty, save one in particular. Amid the tangle of green silk sheets and wildly tossed clothes lay Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Ginny's scarlet hair mixed with Draco's blond locks, creating a blend of fire and ice.

 

Draco aroused first. He looked at the sleeping siren laying on his chest. He sighed lovingly as he smoothed the hair from in front of her face. She stirred and he murmured, "Good morning, luv. How are you?"

 

She gazed up at him and beamed. "Good now that you're here with me."

 

Draco smiled a bit and said, "I didn't go anywhere."

 

"I know, but I was afraid I'd wake up and find I had dreamed it all." She squeezed him to reaffirm that he was really there.

 

She felt his heart beat strongly and then a deep tremble within him. He laughed affectionately and stated, "Gin, I'll always be here." He kissed her lightly. "And I'll be good for you." She felt like she was floating in a sea of Draco.

 

With a devilish grin she asked, "Then are you ready for a repeat performance of last night?"


End file.
